Lamp-operating mechanism.



L. J. WOGENSTAHL. LAMP OPERATINQ MECHANISM. APPLICATION TILED MAYB, 1913,

2 SHEETS-BHEET 1.

1,078,1 15. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Aftorneys L. J. WOGENSTAHL.

LAMP OPERATING MECHANISM APPLICATION FILED MAYG, 1913.

Patented Nov. 11; 1913.

2 smm'sks nnm 2.

Inventor Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEO J'. WOGENSTAHL, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

LAMB-OPERATING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters recent.

. Patented Nov. 11, 1913.

Application filed May 6, 1913. Serial No. 765,834.

mechanism for turning the lamps of an automobile.

An object of the present invention is to provide meanswhereby the lamps are simultaneously turned with and by the front wheels.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a mechanism for the turning of automobile'lamps wherein the velocity of. rotation during the initial phases will be relatively greater than the velocity of rotation during the final phases.

IVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood thatchanges in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, the preferable form of my invention is illustrated, in which F1gure 1 is a plan View illustrating the manner in which the two lamps are simultaneously controlled and the manner in which the rotation thereof is secured by connecting the same to the steering gear. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3, is a cross sectional view through the lamp supporting pivot and the rack and gear secured thereto. Fig. 4 is a detail. view of the gear and the actuating rack therefor. Fig. 5 represents themanner in which the rack rod is secured to the steering gear. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the rack bar securing means which is adapted to engagethe steering gear. Fig. 7 is a view of amodified form in,which"the elliptical or eccentric gear and.rack are, dispensed with and a crank arm substituted therefor.

mg partsithroughont the Several views, .1 is the metallic frame of an automobile. and 2 a portion of the steering gear shaft. The

steerin gear shaft 2 is provided with the usual e Jending arm 3 to the lower extremity l of which the connecting rod to the front wheels is secured.

In order that the lamps may be mounted I for rotative movement a base plate 5 is rig idly secured to the metallic frame 1 by suit.

able securing bolts 6 passing therethrough. The said base plate 5 is provided with an aperture 7 extending therethrough extendmg through which aperture is a spindle 8 to the upper extremity of which is rigidly secured the lamp supporting bracket 9 to which the lamp 10 is rigidly secured.

The base plate 5 as illustrated in cross section in Fig. 8 of the drawings is provided with the conical bearin seats 11 at the upper and lower extremities of the aperture 7 The spindle 8 is provided with the conical bearing members 12 which are rigidly secured to the said spindle andfare adapted to engage the said conical bearin seats. and form an eflicient bearing therewill'i it being noted that suitable anti-frictional means may be disposed between the conical-bearing members and seats if so desired. Formed integral with the lower extremity of the base plate 5 is the downwardly projecting casing 13'wl1ich casing is'provided with a roller 14 disposed near the inner extremity thereof which roller is mounted for rotation upon a pivot 15 which extends through the side tremity of the spindle 8 is threaded as at 16 j to which threaded portion is rigidly secured a gear wheel 17, said gear wheel being secured to the said spindle so that it will lie directly in front of the casing 13. The upper extremity of the spindle 8 is threaded as at 18 the same affording means whereby the lamp supporting bracket 9 may be rigidly secured by said spindle and rotated therewith. j

The base plate just described is rigidly securedto one member of the metallic frame and is adapted to support one of the lamps. Rigidly secured to the opposite metallic frame member is a somewhat'similar base the base plate'19 is exactly similar to that of the base plate 5'with the exception that the casing 13 isomitted. A spindle 21 ex-' tends through the base plate. 19 and has secured to the upper extremity thereof a lamp supporting bracket and lamp. In order that the spindles 8 and 21 may be simultaneously rotated, an actuating arm 22 is rigidly secured to the spindle S bet-ween the gear wheel 17 and conical bearing member 11 and a similar actuating arm. 23 is rigidly secured to the spindle 21, to the outer extremities of which arms 22 and 23 1s plvotally secured the extensible link 24-,

by which means it will be apparent that a.

bolt being providedwith a suitable nut 30- secured thereto in such a manner that the cylindrical walls are clamped betweenthe head of the bolt and the nut. The said bolt 29 extends through an aperture 31 formed in a plunger 32, the said plunger being provided with the forwardly and *earwa'rdly projecting lugs 33 whichhave secured there- .to the resilient springs 34 the rear one of which is held in place by means of the rear cap 35 and the front one being disposed between the end of the rod 26 and the plunger 32. In order that the plunger 32 may be rigidly secured to the steering gear actuating arm 3, the clamping member as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings provided,

the same comprising the bifurcated body portion 36 to which are secured the U-shaped bolts 37. Suitable tightening means 38 are adjustably secured thereto. The said steer-- ing gear actuating. arm 3 is rlgidly clamped between said U-shaped bolts 37 and the hifurcated 36 and to one extremity of the member 36 is formed the integralupstanding portion 39, the extremity of which forms the "nut 30. i

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the steering gear actuating arm 3 is adapted to simultaneously rotate the automobile lamps and also that .e excessive vibratlon and ar to which the a .n 3 is subject Wlll not be transmitted to thosqd lamps butwill be taken up by the resilient spring members 3 1.

In order that the angular movement of the lamps with respect to the central position thereof will decrease with corresponding turning of the front wheels of the vehicle the. spur gear wheel 17 is illustrated .in Fi 4 of the drawin as bein mounted b to h ecccntricall'y and in order for the rack rod 25 to remain in contact therewith and with the roller 14, the inner peripheral edge 40 thereof is a curve plotted with rectangular coordinates equal to the polar coordinates which would produce the peripheral surface of the gear wheel 17, from which it will be apparent that when the rack rod 25 is shifted the peripheral edge 40 thereof will reniain in constant contact with the roller 14 and the opposite edge will remain in mesh with the gear wheel 17. The exact contour of the gear Wheel 17 is immaterial it being noted that the same may be circular, elliptical or of other form whereby the ratio of the angular movement of the spur gear wheel with relation to the rectilinear motion of the rack rod 25 will vary. From the foregoing it will be apparent that when the front wheels of the vehicle are slightly turned the lamps will be sharply turned and no matter how sharp the turn the lamps will illuminate the same. i

The modified form as illustrated in Fig. 7 shows a crank arm 17 rigidly secured to the spindle 8 in place of the eccentric gear 17.

Having thus described the iIIVBIItlOII'Whfit I claim to be new and original with me is 1. In a lamp shifting mechanism, the combination of a steering gear mechanism, a lamp carrying spindle, a spur gear wheel rigidly secured thereto and mounted eccehtrically thereof, a rack bar adapted to engage the spur gear wheel, means connecting .the said steering gear with the said'rack bar for the positive motion of the latter by and with the former, the outer edge of said rack bar being formed as a curve representing the rectilinear development of the curvature of the periphery of said spur gear taken with respect to its eccentric axis, and a roller the axis thereof fixed with respect to the axis of the spur gear and adapted to continuously contact with the outer edge of said rack bar. 2. In a lamp operating mechanism, the

combination of a spindle adapted to support a lamp, a spur gear Wheel rigidly secured thereto and mounted eccentrically thereof, a casing with a roller therein, a rack bar disposed within said casing engaging said roller and adapted to mesh with and positively drive said spur gear wheel, and the outer edge of said rack bar adapted to conform with the eccentricity of said gear wheel to maintain the same in contact with said roller and to mesh with said gear wheel.

3. In a lamp rotating mechanism, the combination of a base plate adapted to be rigidly secured to a vehicle frame, a spindle journaled for rotation, therein, said spindle adapted to rigidly support a lamp, a casin formed integral with the said base plate and extending therefrom, a roller disposed within said casing, a spur gear rigidly secured to said spindle and of varying radii, a rack bar adapted to mesh with and actuate said spur gear, and said rack bar provided with an outer edge adapted to continuously engage said roller to thereby hold said rack bar and spur gear in mesh, and means for actuating said rack bar simultaneously with the shifting of the vehicle wheels.

4. The combination with a vehicle frame, of base plates rigidly secured thereto, spindles rotatably supported thereby, and adapted to support lamps, outstanding arms rigidly secured to the spindles and a link connection therebetween for the simultaneous rotation of said spindles, one of said spindles provided with an eccent-rically mounted spur gear secured thereto, and a rack bar adapted to mesh with said spur gear, means for holding the same in contacttherewith, and means for resiliently connecting said rack bar with the steering gear mechanism.

5. The combination with a vehicle frame, of base plates rigidly secured thereto, spindles rotatably supported thereby and adapted to support lamps, outstanding arms rigidly secured to the spindles and a link connection therebetwecn for the simultaneous rotation of said spindles, one of said spindles provided with an eccentrically mounted spur gear secured thereto, and a rack bar adapted to mesh with said spur gear, and means for resiliently connecting said rack bar with the steering gear mechanism.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signa ture in the presence of two witnesses.

LEO J. \VOGENSTAHI lVitncsses:

H. L. GosLINo, M. I. MGILHENNY. 

